For safer plastics

The Chennai-based KK Polycolor (India) Ltd, the largest masterbatch manufacturer of the country, recently notched up another first to its credit. The company became the first in India to launch antimicrobial masterbatches.

Explaining his new product, Krishna Kumar Kankani, chairman and managing director, says, "Plastic products like toothbrushes, toilet seats, telephone instruments and other such products which come in intimate contact with humans, are firm grounds for microbial growth. However, the anti microbial masterbatches prevents such growth and makes plastic products more hygienic to use."

The company is now targeting toothbrush, toilet seat, PET bottle and telephone instrument manufacturers for its new product. "It also makes economic sense for us," says Kankani. "The low volume, high value product would fetch the company anything between Rs 700-800 per kg."

Masterbatches made with polyethylene granules are basically colouring for plastic products as plastic in its primary state is colourless. According to Kankani, KK Polycolor's masterbatches are used by major manufacturer's of plastic products like moulded chairs, electric cables, automobile components.

The Chennai-based company is claimed to be the first one in the country to introduce the concept of masterbatches to the domestic plastic industry. Way back in 1985, it tied up with Hoechst and imported the product from Germany and in 1996, it joined hands with Star Colour Company Ltd, Thailand.

With the dollar becoming volatile and the demand picking up, Kankani decided to set up a manufacturing unit in Chennai in 1998. "The domestic demand for masterbatch is around 50,000 ton per annum (tpa) whereas the domestic supply is just around 20,000 tpa. The shortfall is met by imports," says Kankani.

Importing the required plant and machinery from France, Kankani set up a 2,500 tpa plant last February at an outlay of Rs 8 crore. Clocking a turnover of Rs 9 crore in the first year of operations, Kankani completed doubling of the capacity recently.

His rationale is simple. With IPCL and GAIL expanding their capacities and the coming in of massive capacities from Reliance Petroleum, Haldia Petrochemicals, demand for plastic products is bound to go up. And KK Polycolor, being the only player in the south, decided to pre-empt competition.

"The total investment that has gone into the company is around Rs 30 crore," says Kankani. Today, the company tailor-makes unique masterbatches within 48 hours and has over 200 colour shades in its portfolio. K Polycolor also manufactures additive masterbatches like UV stabilizer, antistatic, slip anitblock, cleaning compound, nucleating agents.

Apart from the domestic market, the focus is now on exports to the Middle East countries. "Our target is to realise 15-20 per cent of our turnover through exports," Kankani says. A sizeable order from Iran is being negotiated now, though company officials are reluctant to part with details of the deal.

"The fiscal 2000-2001 will see us clocking a turnover of Rs 30 crore," concludes Kankani.